Minnesota Vikings' Antoine Winfield takes mandatory physical

Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield fulfilled at least one obligation to the team Tuesday: He got his mandatory physical.

Aside from that, however, Winfield has not attended the voluntary organized team activities, and he missed the recent mandatory minicamp to be at the funeral of a close friend's mother.

Winfield has not commented, and his agent, Ashanti Webb, hasn't said anything substantive since telling the Pioneer Press last month that negotiations had broken down with the team on a contract extension and that there are "no further talks planned."

Winfield, who has made clear his intention of retiring as a Viking, is entering the final year of a six-year contract and has stated his desire to work out an extension sooner rather than later.

— Sean Jensen

Briefly: The NFL and its players union opened talks Wednesday in New York in a bid to avoid a work stoppage in 2011, when the current labor contract expires.

These meetings mainly were about procedural issues rather than substantive ones. One early subject of contention: the union's demand the NFL teams open their books and the league's position that the union already has all the relevant financial information.

Two-time Pro Bowl safety Rodney Harrison, 36, announced his retirement, saying he is through hitting quarterbacks after a 15-year career with New England and San Diego.

Later, NBC announced that Harrison and former coach Tony Dungy would join "Football Night in America" as analysts.

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A series of text messages from city officials in Irving, Texas, after the Dallas Cowboys' practice facility collapsed reveal concerns about the structure's quality and suggest the team "pushes" things through and receives preferential treatment.

The day after the facility collapsed last month, Irving City Manager Tommy Gonzalez referred to it as "a big ole tent" that "probably never was structurally sound enough" to hold up against straight-line winds.

The Green Bay Packers will start training camp on Aug. 1 and will practice twice daily seven times. The annual Packers Family Night is scheduled for Aug. 8 at Lambeau Field and includes football drills followed by a scrimmage.

Vince Young's agent says the quarterback does not want the Tennessee Titans to trade him, downplaying comments Young made to a Baltimore television station. Major Adams said Young intends to remain in Tennessee and battle Kerry Collins for the starting job.

Clarence Esser, a member of the 1947 Chicago Cardinals championship team, died Monday of cancer. The Madison, Wis., native was 84.

Ten years after retiring as an NFL QB, Chris Miller has returned to the league as Arizona's quarterbacks coach.

Yahoo Inc. has sued the NFL Players Association to try to ensure it won't be sued for using player statistics, photos and other data for its popular online fantasy football game.